18. Mrs. Dalloway

"She was like a lily...side of a pool" (193).

Virginia Woolf describes Elizabeth as being a lily only in the meaning that she is still so quiet and innocent. Lilies stand for chastity, virtue, wealth, pride, and purity. Peter and Sally speak of Elizabeth and compare her to her mother, Clarissa. Elizabeth is still pure and naive in the sense that she clings to her father and is not keen to meeting new people. Sally notices that she is the opposite of her mother when she was that age. Virginia uses the lily as a reference to let the reader understand Elizabeth's mood and behavior. Like a lily, Elizabeth is still pure and simple. Virginia uses the analogy of a lily perfectly to reveal Elizabeth's true spirit.

"Lily." Teleflora. 27 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.teleflora.com/about-flowers/lily.asp

Photo Credit: http://ar.aichi-u.ac.jp/ptt/lily.jpg

17. Mrs. Dalloway

"He wore two camellias...knew of him" (188)

Virginia Woolf explains Sally's husband, Rosetter, as wearing two camiellias on his wedding day. A camiellia is the perfect flower to wear since it resembles a union between lovers and an expressed devotion. Virginia includes the flower as a reference to show the reader that Sally's husband is very devoted to her and is not married to her for any other reason. Sally was once a wild child, but now she is married. The flowers represent their commitment to each other.

"Camellia Flower Meaning." Living Arts Original. 27 September 2009. 14 September 2009.
http://www.livingartsoriginals.com/flower-camellia.htm

16. Mrs. Dalloway

"He was rather...a little Emily Bronte... to write, sorely" (187).

Emily Bronte is most known for publishing one book in 1847, Wuthering Heights which is about a doomed love and sweet revenge. Virginia Woolf introduces Emily Bronte into her novel through Sally and Peter. Peter, being a casual writer, had at one point given Sally some of Emily's work. Because Emily's book consists of tragic love, it gives Peter's character a sense of failure. Virginia sets Peter's character up as someone who never really finds his soulmate. He feels love, but at the same time he is convinced that it will not workout. He has only ever loved one woman, and she turned him away. Emily Bronte's work portrays Peter's character, which is why Virginia Woolf includes her in the conversation between Peter and Sally.

"Emily Bronte." Books and Writers. 27 September 2009. 2008.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/ebronte.htm

15. Mrs. Dalloway

"And Clarissa remembered...her death; her martyrdom...cotton mills at Manchester" (182).

Martyrdom is defined as the "suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause and especially to one's religious faith" (Merriam Webster Dictionary). Virginia Woolf describes Sally as being a complete wild child and one day it was going to cause her death. By using the word martyrdom it lets the reader fully grasp how strong Sally's beliefs are; she held no regrets and did everything that she believed was right. Virginia chose a good word to describe Sally's determination to do what she considers to be the right thing to do.

"Martyrdom." Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 27 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.aolsvc.merriam-webster.aol.com/dictionary/martyrdom

14. Mrs. Dalloway

"She had been there...three Viceroys...the state of India!" (180).

Viceroys are men who rule a country or large region as a representative of a king. For Virginia Woolf to claim that Lady Bruton had stayed with such men is really allowing the reader to grasp the understanding of the Dalloway's and their friends. They all have their images and pronounce them to everyone. People are aware of everyone else's business throughout the story. Virginia includes the Viceroys and Lady Bruton's connection to them to also show Clarissa's personality in the sense that when she explains them, she does not really seem phased by the fact that there are people of upper class there. She does not care about social ranking, but about the people and how they behave. That is the point Virginia Woolf is trying to make as she uses references throughout her novel of famous figures and places.

"Viceroy." Merriam-Webster Dictionary. 27 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml

13. Mrs. Dalloway

"She could not resist recalling what Charles Darwin...orchids of Burma" (179).

Charles Darwin lived from 1809 till 1882. He was a British scientist who assisted with gaining the knowledge of the Theory of Evolution and the process of natural selection. Virginia Woolf includes Darwin as a reference to allow the reader to comprehend how important Aunt Helena is. She knew such famous scientists and probably viewed herself as an upper class woman. Many of the people Virginia Woolf mentions is to emphasize to the reader the society in which the Dalloway's live and try to fit into.

"Charles Darwin." BBC. 27 September 2009.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtml

Photo Credit: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/telegraph/multimedia/archive/01238/charles-darwin_1238293c.jpg

12. Mrs. Dalloway

"For the mention of India, or even Ceylon...became blue...but here was Peter" (178).

Virginia Woolf describes Aunt Helena as having an eye that turns blue whenever "India, or even Ceylon" is mentioned. Blue is a color that beholds many meanings. Each shade of blue represents a different definition, like indigo blue stands for wisdom or spiritual realization. Because Virginia Woolf describes this lady's eye as blue, she could either be implying to the reader that this lady was saddened upon hearing about India, or she had learned a lot and was full of knowledge. Either way, the color blue is apparent and Virginia Woolf used that color to portray the lady as having some higher emotion.

"Color: Meaning, Symbolism, Psychology." Squidoo. 27 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.squidoo.com/colorexpert

11. Mrs. Dalloway

"Mr. Dalloway had sent...the Imperial Tokay" (166).

Tokay is a famous Hungarian wine made out of grapes that are almost ripened to raisins. The quantity produced of Imperial Tokay is so small that very little of it ever reaches the market to be sold. From Virginia Woolf including Imperial Tokay in her book, it implies that the Dalloway's had the privilege and enough importance within their community to get their hands on the scarce wine. Virginia uses the wine to reveal the Dalloway's ranking among their conrads.

"Tokay." Factopia. 27 September 2009. 2007.
http://www.factopia.com/t/tokay_grocer.html

10. Mrs. Dalloway

"He would go to Oxford...in the Bodleian" (157).

Bodleian is a library located in Oxford that was built in 1602. Two-thousand books were added to it by Thomas Bodley. This library is known as a masterpiece of English Gothic architecture for its time. Virginia Woolf included this library because it fits into the high-class category of the characters within the text. This library is also very old and holds so many books. It is a very historic sight, which adds class to the book. She also included this library to let the reader get an image of a realistic place. It lets the book come to life when Virginia Woolf uses an actual building and location.

"Bodleian Library, Oxford." Sacred Destinations. 27 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.sacred-destinations.com/england/oxford-bodleian-library.htm

9. Mrs. Dalloway

"As a child...like a hyacinth...which has had no sun" (123).

A hyacinth is type of flower which symbolizes sport or play. It can represent sincerity or constancy. Virginia Woolf includes this beautiful plant into her writing when she describes Elizabeth from her mother, Clarissa's point of view. Woolf compares Elizabeth to a hyacinth in the respect that she was once a child filled with laughter and merriment, but now she has turned so serious and withdrawn. A hyacinth stands for stability and unchanging; which is now how Elizabeth behaves at her young age of seventeen. Woolf includes this allusion that Elizabeth is "like a hyacinth which has had no sun" so that the reader grasps the concept that she has lost her spark she used to have and now seems to be dying. Elizabeth is no longer a kid and Virginia Woolf may have been expressing a repeated theme of realization through her writing. Woolf grasps the understanding that reality takes away youth, which is what has happened with Elizabeth.

"Hyacinth." Teleflora. 27 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.teleflora.com/about-flowers/hyacinth.asp

8. Mrs. Dalloway

"He could reason...Dante for example...gently shutting the Inferno... that he could not feel" (88).

In Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, Septimus is said to be reading the Inferno by Dante. This book gives Dante's impression of Hell and what he believes it will be like. It is actually considered a tour of Hell, for Dante goes into great detail and creates horrifying images inside the reader's mind. Septimus is not himself when he arrives back home from the war and he starts to read this book about Hell. By Viriginia Woolf including this book in her writing, it portrays the harsh reality of how one person can get down on themselves. The book also foreshadows how Septimus reacts to his depressed state. Because he is reading about Hell, the reader assumes that he is not doing too well and can expect a negative event to occur. In addition to Dante's Inferno, this quote also holds the impression that the world has made Septimus become emotionless. From Virginia Woolf including the world into her quote, one can think that maybe she notices how the world is corrupting people and making them emotionless. The war ruined Septimus, and in everyday life people are changed by society and more often than not people turn cold rather than pleasant to be around. Virginia Woolf in wording this quote the way she chose to could be expressing her views on how the world has affected her, or she could be talking about her general observations.

"Inferno." Sparknotes. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.sparknotes.com/poetry/inferno/context.html

7. Mrs. Dalloway

"Was he not like Keats?...a taste of Antony and Cleopatra...and the Waterloo Road" (85).

Antony and Cleopatra is a tale of Romeo and Juliet; both lovers want to be together, but they cannot find a way to be. In the end, they both end up committing suicide in one form or another. Virginia Woolf includes this tale in her novel to explain how Rezia feels toward her husband Septimus. He appears lifeless since he has returned from the war and Virginia Woolf shows Rezia's personality by saying that she would give him Antony and Cleopatra. It gives the impression that Rezia wanted him to feel towards her like he used to; get back to his loving old self again. Woolf depicts the scenario between Rezia and Septimus perfectly by using the reference to Antony and Cleopatra to emphasize her thought of how love can be so determined and true love never truly surrenders but works harder to fight through the obstacles, which is exactly what Rezia is trying to do.

"Antony and Cleopatra." Sparknotes. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/antony/

6. Mrs. Dalloway

"That was her feeling--Othello's feeling...as strongly as Shakespeare meant Othello to feel it...to meet Sally Seton!" (35).

Othello is a famous play written by William Shakespeare, which consists of a tangled web of lies throughout the whole story line. Othello is the main character within the play and is married to a wife whom he adores. He is forever faithful, but chooses to kill her when he finds out, under false circumstances, that his wife was supposedly committing adultery. When he discovers the truth, he is completely heart broken and regrets his feelings. Othello reacts through emotion and not with a clear mind. Virginia Woolf included Othello in her novel, Mrs. Dalloway to emphasize how strong Clarissa's feelings are towards Sally. Othello's feelings had been so strong that he ended up killing the one woman he loved with all his heart. Clarissa and Sally, in their younger days, portray the same kind of love towards each other and appear to possess the same depth that Othello had. Within the quote there is also a mention of Clarissa's white frock and the color white often implies innocence, youth, or purity. Given the circumstance, Virginia Woolf may have included all of these descriptions to depict to the reader the innocent emotions held between Sally and Clarissa during their youth. A theme of remembrance is also apparent in the fact that Clarissa has this flashback of Sally numerous times in addition to this one. The past never leaves humankind, but people either choose to forget about it, or linger over it continuously wishing it back.

"Othello." Sparknotes. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.sparknotes.com/shakespeare/othello/summary.html

5. Mrs. Dalloway

"The ideas were Sally's...read Plato in bed...read Shelley by the hour" (33).

Virginia Woolf includes Plato and Shelley into her novel to depict the free-spirit and intellect of Clarissa's friend, Sally. Sally is described as knowing a lot about everything, or at least more than Clarissa. Plato lived from 429 till 347 B.C.E. He was an Athenian citizen and held a high status. He is a well known philosopher of his time, and even today. When Virginia Woolf references Shelley, she could either be speaking of Mary Shelley, or her husband, Percy Bysshe Shelley. They are both very influential and powerful writers of their time. Percy wrote romantic poems, while Mary wrote intriguing stories. The words they use in their creations behold many messages and important themes. By using Plato and Shelley, Woolf was trying to express the intelligence of Sally. She is a very bright girl and gained her knowledge from some of the best people recorded in history. Plato and Shelley are also both very influential writers so Virginia Woolf may have included them in her novel to describe how strong willed Sally is throughout the book.

"Plato." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 26 September 2009. 19 September 2009.
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/

"Percy Bysshe Shelley." The Literature Network. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.online-literature.com/shelley_percy/

4. Mrs. Dalloway

"Then while a seedy-looking nondescript man...flew the aeroplane over the Ludgate Circus" (28).

The Ludgate Circus is a hill located in London. The hill is where St. Paul's Cathedral is located, and it is said to have also been the site of a Roman temple of the Goddess Diana. Virginia Woolf made the reference to Ludgate Circus because she had been speaking of St. Paul's Cathedral, and of its high ranking men who now lay there to rest. The Cathedral on the hill is a symbol in Virginia Woolf's eyes of how mankind will strive to accomplish great things throughout their lives to get recognition for it later. All of the men buried in the tombs underneath St. Paul's are famous, which makes other people look at them as superior; as their idles.

"Ludgate Hill." Absolute Astronomy. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Ludgate_Hill#encyclopedia

3. Mrs. Dalloway

"Away and away the aeroplane shot...Einstein, speculation, mathematics, the Mendelian theory...aeroplane shot" (28).

A very peculiar thought is processed through this quote as the reader reads it from start to finish. Einstein is a well known man who had a strong determination to accomplish great things. He viewed his accomplishments as "mere stepping stones for the next advance" (Nobel Lectures). The Mendelian Theory is named after Greg Mendel and it consists of the first law of segregation. Virginia Woolf may have included these two famous people in her writing for many reasons. The way this quote is worded creates an amazing image in the mind; the light from the aeroplane is compared to a man's soul, and then Einstein and the Mendelian Theory come in. By Woolf comparing an aeroplane to numerous things, the point she is trying to make is that from a strong determination to achieve ones goals, the aeroplane was born. Mr. Bentley is standing there staring at the plane as it flies overhead, and Virginia Woolf has him thinking about everything that relates to the desire to create something so amazing.

"Albert Einstein." Nobelprize.org. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1921/einstein-bio.html

"Mendel's First Law." Mendelian Genetics. 26 September 2009. 2000.
http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/instruct/mcclean/plsc431/mendel/mendel1.htm

Photo Credit: http://th.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/~jr/gif/phys/einst_6.jpg

2. Mrs. Dalloway

"I am alone...by the fountain in Regent's Park...never tell that he was mad" (24).

Regent's Park is a royal park that can be found in London. Henry VIII initiated the production, and it was designed by John Nash. Virginia Woolf included Regent's Park in her novel to add the touch of Royalty into her plot line. Throughout the entire story she speaks of the higher class and she portrays herself as someone who would fully enjoy everyone staring at her as she walks by. Regent Park is a place that was created by royalty for hunting and enjoying nature. At first it was privately owned, but later opened up to the public. Virginia Woolf is describing how Clarissa Dalloway would love to live her life like the upper class and wealthy citizens. She also may have used Regent's Park as a setting in her story because it is a real place, which connects the reader to reality and makes the story more believable.

"The Regent's Park." The Royal Parks. 26 September 2009. 2009.
http://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/regents_park/history.cfm

1. Mrs. Dalloway

"Fear no more..furious winter's rages" (9).

William Shakespeare originally wrote his poem "Fear No More the Heat o' the Sun" sometime between 1564 and 1616. Embedded within this text Shakespeare emphasizes the non-importance of trivial matters and understands that human life does not last long. He tries to get the message out to the reader that one should not worry so much about the little things because there is not much time to enjoy life. Virginia Woolf uses William Shakespeare's work in her book to illustrate a strong concept. Woolf's character, Clarissa Dalloway, is looking around her town and thinking about the choices she has made. While she is remembering her past, she sees all of the action occurring in town and starts to understand that she is so small compared to all the people, and that one day the world will go on without her. Virginia Woolf uses the theme from Shakespeare's poem to get her point across that life is short and one should not waste a moment of it.

"Fear No More." Suite 101. 26 September 2009. 2003.
http://www.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/performance_poetry/92093/796749

Photo Credit: http://3quarksdaily.blogs.com/3quarksdaily/images/2007/08/29/shakespeare.jpg